Spraying apparatus and method



Sept. 5, 1967 -N. P. MA ZZOLA SPRAYING APPARATUS AND METHOD 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 22. 1963 INVENTOR NU/VZ/ R MAZZOLA ATTORNEY N. P. MAZZOLA SPRAYING APPARATUS AND METHOD Sept. 5, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed July 22, 1963 INVENTOR. n/u/vz/ P. MAZZOLA ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,340,087 SPRAYING APPARATUS AND METHOD Nunzi P. Mazzola, Philadelphia, Pa., assiguor of fifteen percent to William Shelansky and Estelle Shelansky, ten percent to Theodore B. Krouse and Bernadine Krouse, and seventy-five percent to Nunzi P. Mazzola and Helen Mazzola, all of Philadelphia, Pa.

Filed July 22, 1963, Ser. No. 296,714

13 Claims. (Cl. 11738) This invention relates generally to a spraying apparatus and method. More particularly, the present invention is directed to apparatus and method for artificially simulating a marble efiect on substantially any material.

The apparatus and method of the present invention may artificially provide any substrate material such as stone, brick, metal, plastic, glass, wood, masonite, china, fabric, canvas, leather, etc. with a simulated marble effect.

Generally, the apparatus and method of the present invention is directed toward simulating a marble effect on a substrate by spraying diluted material, such as lacquer, through a layer of disorientated material such as steel wool. The sprayable material, such as diluted lacquer, dries immediately. Thus, the substrate may be handled and the sprayed area touched within a period of two seconds. The substrate on which the simulated marble effect will be provided may be stationary or moving, upright, horizontal or angularly disposed.

The substrate should preferably be a clean surface and may be provided with a pigmented base coat to accentuate the simulated marble effect which may be of a different pigment. While steel wool may be utilized as the disoriented fibrous layer, other materials such as brass wool may be utilized. Materials having an orientated fibrous structure have been found to be unacceptable. When using steel wool as the disorientated fibrous layer, a magnet may be utilized with the substrate therebetween so that the fibrous layer will assume a position juxtaposed to the substrate.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel apparatus and method for simulating a marble effect on a substrate.

It is another object of the present invention to provide novel apparatus and method for effecting a simulated marble appearance on a substrate in a manner which is faster and cheaper than any apparatus or method proposed heretofore.

It is another object of the present invention to provide apparatus and method for applying a simulated marble effect on a stationary substrate.

It is another object of the present invention to provide apparatus and method for simulating a marble etfect in a continuous manner on a moving substrate.

It is another object of the present invention to provide apparatus and method for simulating a marble effect by spraying through a layer of steel wool or its equivalent.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there are shown in the drawings forms which are presently preferred; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and instrumentalities shown.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of apparatus in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a partial perspective view of apparatus in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of another embodiment.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein like numerals indicate like elements, there is shown in FIGURE 1 3,340,687 Patented Sept. 5, 1967 apparatus in accordance with the present invention designated generally as 10 for providing a simulated marble effect on a substrate 12.

The substrate 12 may be stationary or moving, upright, horizontal, or angularly disposed. The substrate 12 may be any one of a wide variety of materials as referred to hereinbefore.

The apparatus 10 includes a container 14 closed at its upper end by a closure coupled to a handle 16. A mixing nozzle 18 is supported by the handle 16 and is in communication with the liquid in container 14 as well as a source of air under pressure by way of hose 20. The liquid in container 14 is preferably a diluted pigmented lacquer. To provide such a diluted lacquer, the proportions of the lacquer and thinner should be at least one to one by volume. The source of air under pressure is preferably a source providing air at about 40 p.s.i. When the pressure of the air approaches about 55 p.s.i., poor results were attained.

A layer of disorientated fibrous material 22 will be juxtaposed to the substrate and between the nozzle 18 and substrate 12 when practicing the present invention. The material 22 is preferably a metallic wool such as commercially available steel wool, No. 1 medium. Other grades of steel wool which have performed satisfactorily are fine and double zero. Material 22 is naturally or otherwise coated so as not to absorb the lacquer.

The operation of the apparatus 10 is as follows. With hose 20 coupled up to a source of air under pressure such as a compressor having an output pressure of 40 p.s.i., the nozzle 18 will be positioned approximately 1-12 inches away from the juxtaposed surface of the substrate 12 with the material 22 disposed therebetween and touching the substrate 12. The air passing through the mixing nozzle will create a suction which draws the diluted pigmented lacquer from the container 14 into the air stream and is dispensed through the nozzle 18. The mixture of air at the aforesaid pressure and the diluted lacquer pass through the material 22 and provide a coating on a portion of the substrate 12 which simulates a marble effect. Preferably,

the nozzle is moved with respect to the substrate 12 and the material 22 at an angle, thereby simulating a marble effect having a more genuine appearance. The reason why the marble efiect is simulated by the apparatus described above is not known to the applicant. It is believed that the simulation of a marble effect which dries immediately and can be touched within two seconds after spraying from the nozzle 18 is a result of a combination of various factors including the air pressure, the thinness of the pigmented lacquer, and the combined efiect thereof with the material 22 which is preferably a No. 1 medium steel wool as referred to above. Greater accentuation of the marble effect is obtained when the color of the pigmented lacquer is a contrasting color with respect to the substrate 12.

Since the simulated marble effect dries immediately, the material 22 may be manually pushed to another portion of the substrate 12 and the process repeated. Repetition of this process enables an unskilled person with minimum training to provide a substrate 8 X 12' with a simulated marble eifect on almost any material in a period of one-half hour. In order to protect the simulated marble eifect, the substrate 12 is then preferably sprayed or otherwise coated with a coating of clear lacquer. Suitable water repellent clear lacquers which are also scratch and heat resistant are commercially available. Such clear lacquer coatings will thereafter protect the simulated marble effect against scratches and the like. Apparatus and methods have been proposed heretofore for simulating a marble eifect on various materials. However, such prior attempts have not been successful due to the cost, time consumed, and/ or unrealistic effect produced. The simulated marble effect of the present invention has the appearance of being genuine marble.

In FIGURES 2 and 3, there is illustrated apparatus for automatically and continuously applying a simulated marble effect to a substrate designated as 25. The apparatus 25 includes a conveyor 26 which may take the form of an endless belt. Conveyor 26 supports a substrate 28 which may be an elongated sheet or other configuration, or a plurality of small sheets or other configurations juxtaposed to one another on the conveyor 26.

At the lefthand end of the apparatus 25, there is provided a manifold having a plurality of dispensing nozzles communicating with a source 31 of a base coat lacquer and a source of air under pressure by way of conduit 32. If the substrate 28 has been provided with a base coat color which will provide a good contrast with the color of the pigmented diluted lacquer, elements 30-32 and drier 34 may be eliminated. The drier 34 may be electrical or hot air for drying the base coat applied to the substrate 28.

The apparatus 25 includes a table or the like 36 supported in any convenient manner such as by legs 38. An endless belt 40 has portions above and below the table 36 and extends around driven roller 46 and idler roller 48. Belt 40 is the same material as material 22 described above which is preferably a metallic wool such as steel wool. Due to the loose fibrous nature of the steel wool, the belt is provided with webbing 42 and 44 on side edges thereof to provide surfaces which may be driven by the roller 46 to cause the belt 40 to move in the direction of the arrow thereon. When the belt 40 is made from steel wool, the upper surface of table 36 may be provided with a magnet 50. Magnet 50 may be a series of strip bar magnets or an electro-magnet positioned to attract the juxtaposed portion of the belt 40 toward the table 36.

U-shaped frame side members 52 and 54 are supported on the upper surface on opposite sides of the table 36. Cross members 56, 58 and 60 extend between the members 52 and 54 at spaced points therealong as illustrated. Identical mixing nozzles are supported by the cross members 56-60. Thus, mixing nozzle 62 is reciprocally supported by cross member 56, mixing nozzle 70 is reciprocally supported by cross member 58, and mixing nozzle 72 is reciprocally supported by cross member 60. Since these nozzles are identical and their relationship to their respective cross members are also identical, only mixing nozzle 62 will be described in detail.

Mixing nozzle 62, per se of conventional construction, is reciprocally supported by the cross member 56 in a position so as to be above the belt 40 for spraying therethrough onto the substrate 28. As will be obvious from FIGURE 3, the nozzles 62, 70 and 72 are longitudinally spaced along their cross members to spray through different portions of the belt 40 across the width of the belt 40. Reciprocation of nozzle 62 is effected by a crank arm 64 eccentrically coupled to a disc on the output shaft of a motor 66. Crank arm 64 effects reciprocation of nozzle 62 at the same speed of movement as the substrate 28 or slightly slower than such movement as effected by a timer 68. Timer 68 may be a conventional manually adjustable timer for periodically effecting operation of motor 66 in timed relation with respect to the motors for the reciprocation of nozzles 70 and 72.

The length of reciprocatory travel for the nozzles need not be more than one-third the Width of the belt 40. Each of the nozzles 62, 70 and 72 is capable of adjustment toward and away from the belt 40. The motor and timers for the nozzles may be supported in any convenient manner such as by a bracket secured to the member 54. Nozzle 62 is in communication with a manifold 80 of a compressor 82 by way of flexible conduit 74 having a manually operable valve therein. Nozzle 62 is also in communication with a source 86 of diluted lacquer as described above by way of flexible conduit 84. Nozzles 70 and 72 comm nicate with the manifold 80 by way of valved conduits 76 and 78, respectively, which correspond identically with conduit 74.

Nozzle 70 communicates with a source 90 of diluted lacquer by way of flexible conduit 88. Nozzle 72 communicates with a source 94 of diluted lacquer by way of flexible conduit 92. The sources 86, 90 and 92 may be pigmented lacquer of the same or different colors as desired. Genuine marble is frequently a multicolored material which may be simulated by the apparatus 25. It will be understood that the air under pressure from the manifold 80 is at the same pressure as described above and, by a suction effect in the nozzles, a mixture of pressurized air and dilute pigmented lacquer is dispensed as described above.

To facilitate a clean simulation of marble, the belt 40 may pass over a roller 96 and below rollers 100 and 102 disposed within a solvent bath 98. Such solvent bath will facilitate the removal of any dried pigmented lacquer on the belt 40 before such portion may be permitted to be juxtaposed to a clean portion of the substrate 28. Accordingly, the apparatus 25 will continuously and automatically provide a simulated marble effect on substrate 28 across its full width. By conventional spraying apparatus, not shown, the simulated marble effect may be protected by applying a clear lacquer coating thereover as described above.

In view of the description of operation with respect to apparatus 10, it is believed that the method of operation of apparatus 25 is obvious. Accordingly, a detailed explanation of the method of operation of apparatus 25 is not deemed necessary. As a result of the air pressure, the material 22 and belt 40, and the diluted pigmented lacquer, each embodiment of the present invention is capable of providing a simulated marble effect which is rapid, inexpensive, and totally unexpected in genuineness of simulation.

In FIGURE 4, there is illustrated another embodiment of the present invention designated generally as 120. The apparatus 120, in general, is a miniature portable embodiment which combines the features of apparatus 10 and 25. Thus, apparatus includes a frame 122 having a pair of front wheels 124 and a pair of rear Wheels 126. The frame 122 supports a container 128 corresponding to container 14.

The frame 122 supports a plurality of idler rollerssuch as front roller 132, rear roller 134, bottom roller 135, and top roller 137. A belt 130 extends around the rollers, passing above roller 135. Sprockets 136 are provided on the axle for the front wheels 124, with the teeth on the sprockets in meshing engagement with apertures in webbing on the side edges of the belt 130. A handle 138 extends from the frame upwardly from opposite sides of the belt 130, and to which a hose 140 is removably mounted. The hose 140 communicates with the dispensing nozzle 142 and is adapted to be coupled to a source of air under pressure in the same manner as described above.

In operation, air under pressure passing through hose 140 exits through the nozzle 142 directed toward a portion of the belt 130. As air passes through the nozzle, it creates a suction effect to draw lacquer from the container 128 and a mixture of diluted lacquer and pressurized air is discharged through nozzle 142. In use, the operator will push the apparatus 120 along the surface to be marbleized. As the wheels 124 turn, the sprockets 136 cause the belt 130 to continuously move around the rollers, thereby varying the portion of the belt 130 disposed between the nozzle 142 and the substrate being marbleized. Belt 130 is made from the same material as belt 40. Otherwise, the operation of the apparatus 120 is identical as described above.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. Apparatus comprising a source of diluted sprayable coating material, a nozzle communicating with said source and adapted to communicate with a source of air under pressure of approximately 40 p.s.i., a layer of nonabsorbent disorientated fibrous material through which the air and coating material may pass to simulate a marble eifect on a substrate, said layer of material being in the form of an endless belt, means for moving said belt with respect to said nozzle, a portion of said belt being disposed between said nozzle and the substrate adapted to be provided with a simulated marble effect.

2. Apparatus for providing a simulated marble effect on a moving substrate comprising a conveyor for supporting a substrate, an endless belt of metallic wool material, a nozzle, a source of diluted pigmented lacquer communicating with said nozzle, a source of air communicating with said nozzle, said nozzle being capable of mixing the air and diluted lacquer, and said belt being disposed between said nozzle and said conveyor so that said nozzle may spray the mixture of air and lacquer through said belt onto the substrate to be provided with a simulated marble effect.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 including a solvent bath through which a portion of said belt extends.

4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 including means for applying a base coat to the substrate before the substrate is juxtaposed to a portion of the belt.

5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 including means for reciprocating the nozzle in a direction corresponding to the direction of movement of the belt.

6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 5 including means for periodically effecting such reciprocation of the nozzle.

7. A method of providing a substrate with a simulated marble efiect comprising the steps of placing a layer of disorientated fibrous material juxtaposed to the surface of a substrate, and spraying through said material onto said substrate a mixture of pressurized air and a diluted coating of sprayable material.

8. A method in accordance with claim 7 wherein the sprayable material is pigmented lacquer diluted with a solvent, with the proportions of solvent and pigmented lacquer being between about one part lacquer and one part solvent by volume and one part lacquer and three parts solvent by volume.

9. A method in accordance with claim 7 wherein said layer of material is a metallic wool, and the pressure of said air being approximately 40 pounds per square inch.

10. A method in accordance with claim 7 wherein said layer of material is steel wool, and the coating material being diluted lacquer in such a proportion as to enable the lacquer to dry on a substrate within a few seconds.

11. A method in accordance with claim 10 including repeating the spraying step in a manner so that the simulated marble effect is applied to an adjacent portion of the surface of the substrate until substantially the entire surface of the substrate has been rendered with a simulated marble effect.

12. A method in accordance with claim 10 including the steps of moving the substrate in one direction and moving the steel wool in a direction at an angle with respect to said first mentioned direction.

13. A method of providing a rigid substrate with a simulated marble effect comprising the steps of placing a layer of steel wool between a substrate and a mixing nozzle, spraying a mixture of dilute pigmented lacquer and pressurized air through said steel wool onto said substrate, providing relative movement between said nozzle and said layer of steel wool, and providing relative movement between said steel Wool and said substrate, and then repeating said spraying step to apply pigmented lacquer on another portion of the substrate.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,774,679 12/1956 Remer 117-1053 X 2,815,298 12/1957 Hofiiey 117105.3 X 3,019,127 1/1962 Czerwonka et a1. 117-104 X 3,175,331 3/1965 Klein 51295 X ALFRED L. LEAVITT, Primary Examiner.

A. M. GRIMALDI, Assistant Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS COMPRISING A SOURCE OF DILUTED SPRAYABLE COATING MATERIAL, A NOZZLE COMMUNICATING WITH SAID SOURCE AND ADAPTED TO COMMUNICATE WITH A SOURCE OF AIR UNDER PRESSURE OF APPROXIMATELY 40 P.S.I., A LAYER OF NONABSORBENT DISORIENTATED FRIBROUS MATERIAL THROUGH WHICH THE AIR AND COATING MATERIAL MAY PASS TO SIMULATE A MARBLE EFFECT ON A SUBSTRATE, SAID LAYER OF MATERIAL BEING IN THE FORM OF AN ENDLESS BELT, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID BELT WITH RESPECT TO SAID NOZZLE, A PORTION OF SAID BELT BEING DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID NOZZLE AND THE SUBSTRATE ADAPTED TO BE PROVIDED WITH A SIMULATED MARBLE EFFECT.
 7. A METHOD OF PROVIDING A SUBSTRATE WITH A SIMULATED MARBLE EFFECT COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PLACING A LAYER OF DISORIENTATED FIBROUS MATERIAL JUXTAPOSED TO THE SURFACE OF A SUBSTRATE, AND SPRAYING THROUGH SAID MATERIAL ONTO SAID SUBSTRATE A MIXTURE OF PRESSURIZED AIR AND A DILUTED COATING OF SPRAYABLE MATERIAL. 